Chapter 37

EIRWYN BLINKED AWAKEto a steady beeping noise. Her stomach rolled, and she felt like she might be sick. She turned on her side and looked around. She was inside some kind of glass case.

She pressed on it, grunting as she tried to lift it. She knocked, then paused before banging on it with a fist.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Only the beeping kept her company. She looked down. She now lay somewhat on her side. The shirt and pants she"d borrowed from Scarlet were now stained, ripped, and stiff with dirt. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of body odor that filled the tiny chamber.

She frowned as her stomach rolled and cramped. She slid her hands down, feeling the bulge. Her eyes widened. She jerked the shirt up, twisting to get a better view.

Darkling hells, her stomach looked like she"d shoved a pine cone under the skin. She touched it, and the hardness of it surprised her, the ridges on reminding her of Knox. She frowned, her stomach rolling as she was both hungry and sick at the same time.

A noise drew her attention, and she put her shirt down, turning and banging on the glass. "Hello? Let me out!"

A man stared down at her with white hair that went every which way and glasses on the tip of his red nose. He leaned back and more beeps echoed, then the glass slid to the side.

She sat up with a deep breath of fresh air. A few small men stood around her, and she yawned.

The oldest one looked through his glasses at her, holding a strange metal wand over her face. It lit up in colorful patterns as he said, "You–you"re alive!"

She scowled and swung her legs over the side of the... "Is this a coffin? Did I die?"

The old man sputtered, "Nearly so, yes. You got a bump on the head and entered the Beyond."

She frowned and hopped to the ground, her legs wobbling under her. Her dirty boots left dirt on the shiny metal floor. She winced at the mess and looked around.

"The Beyond? How did I come back? Where"s Knox? Who are you–wait, are you the dwarves?" "

The dwarves shook their heads.

A few talked over themselves to answer her.

"Duh."

"Silly humans."

"This planet sucks. There"s no logic."

"Of course we"re dwarves."

They all nodded, and she yawned again. "Well, it"s nice to meet you all. Do you have a facility I can use?"

She clenched her legs together, and the old man blushed and nodded.

"Absolutely, follow me."

"Where"s Knox?" she asked as they walked.

"He–uh, had some errands to run," the old dwarf said.

Eirwyn had to use the restroom so bad, she didn"t pry for details. He led her through a narrow hallway and to a small bathroom on the outside wall.

"Let me see about getting you some fresh clothes, dear."

He closed the door behind him. It barely clicked shut before Eirwyn was shoving her pants down and using the toilet. She sighed and glanced around.

Her eyes widened at the tub. It had nozzles, and when she was done, she reached over and turned one. Hot water shot into the bottom of the tub, and she grinned.

A knock sounded on the door, then a muffled, "I found you some clothes, princess. If you"d like to change."

She opened the door and smiled, taking the stack of neatly folded clothes from the old man. "Thank you so much. I"ll just be a few minutes."

"Take your time. We"ll have supper ready. It"s just through the workshop in the lodge." He pointed, and she nodded before closing the door behind him.

She had so many questions, and as she sank her tired body into the water, she frowned. The first question was where was Knox. The second? What the hell was going on with her stomach?

She soaped her body, paying attention to the bulge. She poked it, but it was hard under her skin. She frowned, sweat from the hot water beading on her skin. It was the fastest bath she"d ever had, even with soaping herself three times.

Helga would be proud. A stab of worry over her maid led to more questions. She brushed and braided her hair and put on a pair of pants and shirt, the dwarves pants two sizes too big around the waist. She ripped what was left of Scarlet"s shirt and tied it into a belt around the pants.

As she dressed, her worry mounted. Pain kept shooting through her body, and her anxiety went through the roof. Something was wrong. Where was Knox?

She felt in her bones that he was in trouble or hurt. She scrubbed her boots to a shine and rinsed out her mouth as she tried to think through her feelings and identify the problem.

Was it just a week ago that she"d put on these boots for a walk in the gardens before the wedding reception? She sighed, her body brimming with energy as if preparing for a race. She couldn"t sit still, her mind and hands flying as she tidied up the bathroom and opened the door.

She stepped out of the short hall into the workshop.

The smell of manure assaulted her nose, and she gagged, pushing a soft gust of wind to clear the air. She wanted to retch, but choked it down, the wave passing as quickly as it came. A twinkle on the workshop table caught her eye, and she walked toward it.

It was the ring they"d found in the tower. The emerald reminded her of Knox" eyes, and she slid it on her finger, tears pricking at her eyes. She"d thought it"d be too big, but somehow it fit exactly right. The gem sparkled in the light.

A flash of pain left her bending over in pain. She clutched her stomach, the pain stabbing in her ribs. Knox. Where was he? Was he hurt?

Her mind knew nothing was wrong with her body. She was perfectly fine, if hungry. But on some level, she knew the pain was tied to Knox. She had to get to him, but she"d be no use without some food first.

Her hands shook as she looked at the ring, hunger clawing at her. The golden apple lay in pieces on the table beside the books. Her stomach growled, and she picked up the apple.

She ate and flipped through the top book, skimming the pages and drawings. It was some sort of dragonology encyclopedia and explained the various types. But the handwritten notes in the margins drew most of her attention, the scrawl reminding her of some of the ancient books they"d studied in mage school.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she read.

It"s very rare but some dragons have just one fated mate. Some dragons have no sexual desire at all until they meet their fated mate, and then their bodies will only sing for their one true love.

He loved her? That"s what he"d meant by asking her to be his mate? Mating meant love to dragons, not just having sex.

Her chest tightened, and a small smile played on her lips. A stab of pain came out of nowhere and wiped the smile off her face, making her gasp. She flipped the page, seeking answers on how to help Knox, how to find out what was wrong with him.

Fated mates must complete the rituals to seal their destiny. The male dragon must penetrate all female holes, building from one to two to three. There must be an exchange of multiple body fluids. They must seal their love three times in three days.

Eirwyn"s lips twisted wryly. They"d definitely done all that. She turned her head to read the handwriting.

Venomous tails do not harm the fated mate. Actually, the venom barb acts like an aphrodisiac combined with a psychedelic and paralytic. The venom itself can be used as a lube. Likewise, with poisonous breath. The breath draws the mate closer.

She tapped her chin and flipped the page.

Fated mates almost always reproduce during the mating ritual. After the mating ritual is complete, the egg will grow for a week before being delivered. If the egg is not fertilized, one or both will die (mother and child.) Almost all the time, losing the fated mate also brings the death of the remaining mate.

Eirwyn"s heart raced. She looked up at the echo of footsteps to see the old dwarf watching her warily.

She set the book down. "Where"s Knox? When will he be back?"

The dwarf took his glasses off and cleaned them with a sigh. "He went to Vidrland, the village a day"s ride south in the forest."

She frowned. "Vidrland?"

He shifted and avoided her eyes. "Between us and the Lone Road. It"s the ancient druid ruins that the Robins have turned into a village."

Eirwyn sucked in a breath. "There really is a village in the forest, then? Led by rebels?"

He nodded, pursing his lips and putting his glasses back on. "Knox leads the Robins from Vidrland."

Eirwyn"s jaw dropped. "He does what?"

The old man stepped to the side and held out a hand. "Let me explain over dinner. Are you hungry?"

She nodded and set the book down before following him. Every step brought more clawing fear and worry into her stomach. She wasn"t sure that she"d be able to swallow past the knot in her throat, but she practically inhaled the stew as he talked.

The more he explained, the more worried she grew. A harder stab of pain made her gasp. Then she pushed her bowl away and stood. "Thank you so much for your hospitality, for helping me return from the Beyond."

Guilt weighed on her for not cleaning her bowl, but the dwarf didn"t seem to mind. The pain subsided into a pulsing ache between her ribs.

He shook his head, taking the bowl to the sink. "I wouldn"t have believed it if I hadn"t seen it with my own eyes. I don"t know how you came back, but I suspect it has something to do with that dragon of yours."

She bit her lip and looked outside. There was a wind blowing through the trees, and it called to her. That was the answer, the way to find him.

"I need to find Knox," she said, something shifting in her chest. "I need to find him now."

It wasn"t this growing worry anymore. It was immediate, and she had to take action. There was no more time to waste seeking answers.

The old dwarf shook his head. "No, we told Knox we"d keep you safe. He"ll come back for you."

She spun on her heels, her hands going wide. "No, he won"t. You don"t understand. Something"s wrong, and I need to find him now."

The dwarf shook his head and opened his mouth, but Eirwyn threw the door open and ran into the clearing. He shouted behind her, but the wind whipped through her hair, and she threw her head back.

Pain shot through her again, like someone was punching her in the side. It had nothing to do with her stomach, which she was grateful for. But the driving need to find Knox battled with the pain.

She spread her arms, letting the wind and light surround her as she tried to stretch her sides. The surge of magic was stronger than ever before, flowing through her at lightning speed.

When she opened her eyes, she blinked. Surrounded by clear blue sky, she looked down. There were several dwarves outside the lodge now, pointing and staring up.

Her heart raced. What was going on? She turned to see her hands still outstretched, light and shadows wrapping around them to form wings.

The wind shifted, and she began to fall. She pushed more wind into her wings, flapping and turning her body by instinct. Now parallel with the treetops, she looked over the forest below.

She had to find Knox. With a flap of her magical wings, she looked to the south east. It was like a beacon was in her mind. It called to her to hurry. Find Knox before it"s too late.

She shot through the air, the wind flowing over her face and making her eyes sting at first. Then she blinked and her vision shifted. The wind was cold but she didn"t feel a chill. It welcomed her like a long-lost friend.